"We're working to make the city safe." - Harrisburg Police Capt. Colin Cleary

HARRISBURG – Police say they believe an AK-47, .40-caliber handgun and 1,300 bags of heroin found recently belong to one of the area’s major drug suppliers – wherever they might be.

View full sizeHarrisburg City Police foot patrol officers walk through an alley in the Allison Hill neighborhood of the city. Sean Simmers

FBI and federal Drug Enforcement Agency officials are working with
Harrisburg police to find the person, Chief Pierre Ritter said Tuesday after announcing the discovery – three days after it actually happened – during a media briefing at City Hall.

Police declined to name the supplier, whom they don’t believe poses a danger to the public.

The officers found the guns and drugs – a strain of heroin known as “Die Happy” – after their initial investigation led them to obtain a search warrant for an unoccupied location in Allison Hill that police declined to further detail.

Kerns estimated the heroin’s street value between $13,000 and $26,000.

Cleary said the department decided to release limited information about the incident to let people know “we’re working to make the city safe.”

“This also is an excellent example of how a phone call from a citizen can, with proper investigation yield excellent results,” Cleary said.

Cleary highlighted Novchich’s brief tenure – five weeks – on the force, which is actively seeking recruits to fill the 17 positions open as of Tuesday.

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